Islands and islets in Halong bay

Halong bay
boasts thousands of islands and islets of weird shapes
and sizes, below are some of them.

Dinh Huong IsletDinh
Huong Islet (Incense Burner Islet) is so-called Lu Huong
Islet. It's located in the southwest of Dau Go Island
(about 6 kilometers from Bai Chay Tourist Wharf, Halong)
Dinh Huong Islet comprises only one huge stone. When the
tide is low, tourists can see its four pins underneath.
The islet is in the shape of an incense burner in the
middle of the sea. In the majestic setting of sea and
islands, Dinh Huong Islet seems like a holy symbol
dedicated to national heroes who died to protect the
country.
Dinh Huong Islet is an outstanding site of Halong bay
that draws the attraction of several tourists coming to
Halong. Nowadays, it’s easy to find the image of Dinh
Huong Islet on the 200.000 VND bill.

Mat Quy IsletMat
Quy Islet (Monster Head Islet) is situated in the
territory of Bai Tu Long Bay, near Am Islet (Kettle
Islet). Mat Quy Islet is about 30-35 meters above the
sea level.
Mat Quy Islet is about 30-35 meters above the sea level.
It’s considered as a sculptural masterpiece of the
Creator in the vast expanse of water. Looking from a
far, it’s easy to imagine the islet is a fossilized head
of a monster. The monster head has a big nose on a
distorted face.
This horrible islet is interested by tourists visiting
Halong bay. Some local inhabitants believe that the
islet is head of the monster which was killed by Kim Quy
(the Golden Turtoise) as its criminal against man.

Thien Nga IsletThien
Nga Islet (Swan Islet) is a stone island situated on Bai
Tu Long Bay, right next to Cong Tay Island. Thien Nga
Islet is about 15 meters high above the sea level.
The islet comprises three stones piling on each others.
The largest block forms a swan body and the two left
shapes a head and neck of the swan. The perfect
combination of blocks creates a great sculpture sharing
the shape with a swan. Gazing from a far distance, the
islet resembles a beautiful swan swimming on the sea and
losing its herd.
Thien Nga Islet is a wonderful sculpture of nature that
impresses many tourists on the cruise on Halong bay.

Am isletOn
the route to Quan Lan – Ngoc Vung islands; Am Rock or
Kettle Islet is situated in Bai Tu Long Bay. An island
jutting out of the seawaters, the teapot of the Jade
Emperor, who accidentally dropped it into H? Long so,
its handle was broken.

But IsletSome 30-minute boating away from the Con Coc Islet, on
the way to the Ba Trai Dao (Three Peaches) Island,
visitors see a pen bobbing (But Islet) in the seawaters.
This constitutes a monument of knowledge Mother Dragon
wanted to pass down to the present-day generations.
Lying adjacent to the Pen Islet is a small attractive
beach. Tourists can anchor there to take a bath.

Tuan Chau IslandTuan Chau Island is a newly established tourism center
of Ha Long City, which is only 8 kilometers away from
downtown Ha Long. The whole area of this island is about
2.2 square kilometers, which consists of multiple
sloping hills.
Today, Tuan Chau is really the most attractive site of
Ha Long with numerous constructions for the sake of
pleasing tourist. From the entrance of this tourism
complex, tourists can see a chain of international
standard villas. Going deeper into the island, streets
of foods courts and five luxury restaurants designed
with the ancient royal architecture are able to serve up
to 1,000 customers.
Tuan Chau Beach is artificial, stretching over 2
kilometers long with white smooth sand and yellow
sunshine the whole summer. Visiting Tuan Chau, you would
never have to worry about your accommodation with more
than 400 rooms of international standard at your
service: private villa, luxury resort, or high-end
hotel.
In Tuan Chau, tourists might also enjoy a variety of
exciting activities like Jet Ski, canoes parachute, sea
fishing, kayaking, mountain climbing, camping, or lavish
services and entertainment such as dolphin show, seal
show, circus, and martial art show 6 days a week (except
Monday). Come to Tuan Chau Island, come to the heaven on
Earth.

Bo Hon IslandWhen speaking of the beautiful islands of Ha Long Bay,
one must speak of B? Ḥn Island or Soap-Berry Tree
Island, not only because of its splendid scenery, but
also as it is one of the largest in the area. There are
many grottoes located here, such as the Surprise, Lu?n,
Virgin and Male grottoes. There is also a concentration
of high mountains with vertical cliffs like citadel
wall; mountains follow closely make a huge beautiful
watercolour picture on the sea.

Trong Mai IsletTrong Mai (Fighting cocks) Islet is situated on the
south-west side of Ha Long Bay, 5 km from the tourist
wharf near to Dinh Huong Islet. In a somewhat large
expanse of open sea, the island seems to grow up from
the bottom of the deep emerald waters. At sunset, the
island with the height of over 10 m is bright red and in
a somewhat tottery position.

Dau Nguoi IsletDau Nguoi (Man's head) Islet. From a far, you can see a
25-meter islet, which reminds us of a huge Egyptian head
with a big nose. Its chin lies close to the sea surface.
Many people associate it with the image of the Egyptian
Sphinx. The Dau Nguoi Islet in Ha Long Bay, a
masterpiece of nature, has its own poetic beauty as it
lies amidst seawaters. The islet lies near Lu?n Cave, 13
km away from the tourist wharf.

Ba Trai Dao IsletBa Trai Dao Islet (Three Peaches Islet) lays near Cat Ba
Island, in the territory of Halong City, Quang Ninh
Province. It is 22 kilometers far from Bai Chay Tourist
Wharf to the Southeast. By speedboat, it takes about an
hour from Bai Chay Tourist Wharf.
The islet is a group of three small mountains which look
like three peaches from a far. The average height of
three mountains is 23 meters. It’s featured with Ba Trai
Dao Beach which is one of the most beautiful beaches on
Halong bay. The beach has the shape of a bow embracing
the islet. However, tourists just can swim at the beach
in about 2 – 3 hours a day because the tide rises and
engulfs the beach.
The local residents of Halong Bay now still tell the old
story about the origination of Ba Trai Dao Islet. Story
has it that the youngest daughter of the God fell in
love with a poor fisherman. As she wanted him to be
immortal to be with her forever, she stole three peaches
in the heaven for him. The God noticed and was very
angry. He turned three peaches into three stone
mountains on the sea. Therefore, the locals named the
islet as “Ba Trai Dao” Islet (Three Peaches Islet).

Xep IsletXep Islet or Layer Islet is a huge, multi-layered,
square piece of stone which looks like an Egyptian
pyramid built in the middle of the Bai Tu Long Bay, Cam
Pha District.

Con Coc IsletCon Coc Islet (Toad Islet) is situated about 12
kilometers from Bai Chay tourist wharf to the Southeast
of Halong Bay. It's about 9 meters high above the sea
level. Viewing from a far distance, the islet looks like
a big toad which is waiting for the rain at the middle
of the sea.
According to a story of Vietnamese people, once upon a
time, the God forgot making rain and this resulted in
continuing serious drought threatening the live of all
species. A brave toad led a group of animals to meet the
God and asked him for a rain. That toad was honored as
the uncle of God. Thereafter, when the toad grinds its
teeth together, it’s rain immediately. The grind of the
toad has become a sign of rain and helps Vietnamese
farmers forecast the weather in agriculture.

Cong Do IslandOn the south-east side of Ha Long Bay, about 25 km from
Bai Cháy Wharf, Cong Do is in Bái Tu Long Bay in the
region which recognised as the World Heritage. It has an
area of 23,363 sq. m, and its mountain reaches a peak of
172 m. The island features many lagoons, which are the
residence of numerous species of sea-life, such as
shrimp, crab, fish, squid and aquatic plants. On the
south-west side of the island, there is a wide coral
reef displaying a myriad of colours.
Coral reef ecosystem is more than 700 m long and 300 m
wide. It is preserved almost undamaged. In the future,
there are plans for the development of a zone for
scuba-diving. On the south-east side of the island,
vestiges of the ancient commercial port of Vân Don were
discovered. This confirms beliefs that Cong Do Island
once held an important position in terms of foreign
trade.

Cho Da IsletCho Da Islet – In the itinerary of Thien Cung – Dau Go –
Ti Top, after visiting Thien Cung and Dau Go, one needs
10 minutes boating to the Cho Da Islet or Stone Dog
Islet.
Some 8m up the islet one can figure out a piece of stone
in the shape of a dog sitting with its back to the sea,
standing guard for the safety of seagoing boats for
millions of years

Cong Tay IslandIn the Ngoc Vung - Quan Lan islands itinerary, one will
visit Cong Tay Island, which lies at the Bai Tu Long
Bay, 40 km away from the Bai Chay Tourist Wharf. From
Cam Pha, express boats will take you 30 minutes or 90
minutes by common boats to reach Cong Tay Island.
Cong Tay Island is considered the Cinderella in a
legendary tale. The Cam Pha Coal Construction and Port
Company built a resort in the island to attract
holidaymakers. A system of villas and restaurants lies
very close to the beach. Red brick-paved, coconut-lined
roads lead from the villas to the beach. Hammocks are
available here and there for tourists to relax and view
the sea.

Dau Moi IsletDau Moi Islet lies in the middle of the route between Am
Islet and Dua Islet in Bai Tu Long Bay. The islet
resembles the head of a termite, a kind of insect often
seen prior to the rainy season. Dau Moi Islet is listed
in the diversified “animal collection” of Ha Long Bay.

Dau Be IslandDau Be Island is 500 m west of Hang Trai Island, and 28
km from the Bai Chay Tourist Wharf, in an archipelago
comprised of the Tra Le islands outside the southeast
side of Halong Bay (seaport of Lan Ha Bay). It has an
area of 22,863 sq. m, and its highest peak reaches 139
m. When speaking of the island, it is impossible not
mention to Ba Ham Lake, a famous spot which people had
known a long time ago.

Ngoc Vung IslandNgoc Vung or Gem Island, is a pretty site sitting
between the Net Islet and Phuong Hoang (Phoenix) Island,
in the Van Don District. From above, Ngoc Vung looks
like a beautiful velvet handkerchief with exquisite
white edgings; it seems to float on the water surface.
On the east side of the island there is a kilometres-beach
with pure white sand. At the centre is a luxuriant
benjamin fig tree; it was under this tree that Ho Chí
Minh stood and conversed with the population in 1962
during a visit.
Formerly, under the feudal dynasties, this island zone
contained a great quantity of rare and precious species
of mother-of-pearls. At night, fluorescent pearls would
light up the whole region. So there are several islands
having name “Ngoc” such as Ngoc Vung (dazzling pearl),
Minh Chau (Ngoc Chau)...
During the war against the US, the island belonged to a
front of outward islands that served as protection for
the eastern waterways.
It is also on the beach that many stone artefacts were
discovered in 1937, opening a string of excavations and
archaeological research aiming at providing some
explanations of the mysteries of the ancient Ha Long
culture.

Quan Lan IslandQuan Lan Island belongs to Bai Tu Long Bay; part of an
island range on the outside of the gulf of Bac Bo. It
has an area of 11 sq. km, and features eight populated
hamlets. Quan Lan Island stretch toward East – West from
the foot of Van Don Range to the Gót Mount with many
high mountains to the east barring waves and winds,
protect the villages. The island is situated on an
important navigation route that connects China, Japan,
Thailand and Philippines to Vietnam. Along two sides of
the island are tens kilometres of sand beaches. This is
the endless resource for glass making which the sea
gives to man and it is also the extremely interesting
tourism.
Since the 11th century, Quan Lan had been one of the
centres of the ancient commercial port of Van Don, which
was animated and prosperous at the time. Today, there
are still many vestiges linked to the ancient commercial
port. This also explains why the island, lying deep in
the sea, has the large pagodas and archaeological sites
seen today. On the island there is the Quan Lan Communal
House built in the 18th century; exceedingly beautiful
and almost entirely preserved. Next to it is Quan Lan
Pagoda (Linh Quang Tu), which is dedicated to Buddha and
God Lieu Hanh. The pagoda also worships the statue of
old Hau, a local person who made lots of contributions
to the construction of the pagoda. The statue features a
gentle and cheerful old woman, which adds an original
character to the pagoda. Beside Quan Lan Pagoda lies
Nghè Quan Lan (Duc Ông) Shrine, which is dedicated to
Pham Công Chính, a local people who participated in the
historical Vân Don battle against the Yuan invaders. He
was later honored as a god. Quan Lan has many valuable
sea products such as octopuses, butterfish, mackerel,
holothurian, shrimp, and sái sùng.

The Vang IslandThis is one of the eco-tourism site in Bái Tu Long Bay,
Cam Pha District, in the itinerary of Bài Tho Mount – Am
Islet – Dau Moi Islet – Dua Islet – Monkey Islet – The
Vàng Islet – Vân Don. In The Vàng Islet, a resort is
under construction to attract holidaymakers during
weekends. An artificial beach is also underway. In the
future, a system of villas and guesthouses will be
built.

Reu IslandReu Island lies just 500 m from the tourist boats wharf.
The Hoàng Gia International Joint Venture is
implementing a project to turn the island into a resort
complex with many kinds of services. At present, the
island has a lot species of animals, including many rare
ones. Reu Island is fast changing into an interesting
holiday resort.

Ti Top IslandSituated about 7-8 km south-east of Bai Chay lies the
small Ti Top Island. It displays a beach shaped like a
crescent moon, and sand that has been washed to a snowy
white by the tide. On 22 November 1962, this tiny island
had the honour of receiving a visit from astronaut
Ghermann Ti Top, a hero of the former Soviet Union,
accompanied by Ho Chí Minh. To perpetuate the
remembrance of their visit, Uncle Ho named the place Ti
Top Island. It has now become an attractive beach for
tourists and has various of tourist services

Soi Sim IsletSoi Sim Islet Soi Sim is an soil island 400 m away from
Ti Top Island, and 7-8 km from the Bai Chay Tourist
Wharf. In the island there are many ancient trees. The
Ha Long Bay Management Board is going to build a system
of guesthouses equipped with modern facilities. At
present, a small beach has been improved and upgraded,
adding more charm to the attractive holiday resort.

Yen Ngua IsletYen Ngua or Saddle Islet lies in Ha Long Bay, in the
centre of the World Heritage Area. Nature has creatively
shaped two pieces of stone, one high and one lower,
which are linked together to form an imposing rock,
looking like a saddle. Boats can go through underneath.
The whole rock resembles a sewing machine. How wonderful
to have such a magnificent but elegant “saddle”, jutting
some 10 m above the sea surface.